What is making my lower back hurt?

I have an aching pain in my lower back that feels like it is just under the ribs in the back. It lasts around an hour then seems to go back to normal. What is making this happen? Is there something wrong with one of my organs back there? What organs are there?

Answer

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing this discomfort. I would suggest that you go to see your primary care doctor who will be able to help you figure out what is going on and also prescribe an appropriate medication to relieve the symptoms.
Most likely, the symptoms you are having are related to strain or spasm in the muscles of your lower back. This is a common problem in otherwise healthy people, especially due to poor posture (sitting at a computer screen all day) or heavy lifting. It typically does respond to rest and stretching exercises, together with anti inflammatory medications for the pain. Make sure to tell your doctor exactly where the pain is, as well as if there are any strange symptoms like numbness or tingling in your legs, which might suggest a pinched nerve in your back rather than just a strained muscle.
Although it seems unlikely in your case without other symptoms, occasionally a urine infection or a kidney stone will present as pain in the lower back. Tell your doctor if you are having any urine symptoms, like pain with urination or blood in the urine, as that will obviously change the medical treatment of your symptoms quite a bit.

This answer is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.